India’s Hopenhagen?

The Copenhagen climate talks have entered “a very distinct and important” phase where top ministers are discussing a way forward in the ensuing stalemate over cuts in emissions.

Issue of contention between the two parties {United States (and developed nations) versus Developing countries (G77 comprised of China and India)} before the summit were,

1.) While the United States and other industrialized nations are worried over the new cuts in emission they are also concerned about the transparency or a way to verify that China, India and other emerging economies will make the greenhouse gas emissions cuts they’ve promised to make in the context of a new agreement.

2.) While G77 argues that developed countries have not paid the real price for polluting much of the earth. They are seeking larger financial assistance and transfer of green technologies.

During the summit G77 accused United States and other industrialized countries of forsaking the Kyoto Protocol, the climate agreement that currently imposes emission limits on nearly all of the world’s developed nations.

India has put forth a proposal (Delhi Declaration: http://unfccc.int/cop8/latest/1_cpl6rev1.pdf) which proposes  set up a network of climate innovation centers in various countries for developing and sharing green technologies. Climate innovation centers are aimed at identifying and developing local technology requirements and also for facilitating dissemination of current technologies. India is also pushing the ‘trimurti’ of the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Action Plan to the negotiating table.

Lets hope US sacrifices takes giant step and pledges ambitious cuts in carbon emissions. This would make Japan, Canada, Russia, Australia and Europe in agreeing the kind of greenhouse gas reductions that could say limit temperature rise to 2C till 2050. While the worst case could be pressure on the US from Europe and the developing world backfires as a massive disagreement erupts between G77 and the US. If the final hours dont produce agreement on anything, the  UN might be forced to declare the talks a failure.

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